If you are reading this article, it is most likely because you are aware of the dangers and risks associated with the use of chemical pesticides on our beloved family pets. When the weather warms up, we find ourselves enjoying the great outdoors with our family - and that includes our dogs! Unfortunately, we are not the only species enjoying the warm weather.

Fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and other potentially dangerous pests are also out in the warm weather, looking for a host. Our dogs are the ideal target for these pests, so it is important that we do whatever we can to keep our dogs safe. Fleas are an annoying nuisance, ticks can carry potentially deadly diseases, and mosquitoes may pass along heart worm.

However, there are safe and effective alternatives to the potentially deadly chemicals (both oral and topical prevention) that can be purchased at your local Animal Hospital.

Why use Natural Prevention?

I am extremely passionate about my dog's health and nutrition, so when I looked into chemical pesticides sold by Veterinarians I could not bring myself to use them. After further research into the use of chemical pesticides on pets, while also exploring natural prevention, I made the decision to only use safer alternatives.

I was shocked to learn that at least 783 animal deaths occurred as a result of using chemical topical and oral pesticides - as were reported by the FDA. Beyond those numbers, thousands of owners are complaining about terrible side effects like seizures and lethargy. It is simply NOT worth the risk! I encourage you to investigate this yourself, so you can form your own educated opinion.

A Safe and Effective Alternative.

There are two products I am using successfully this year. I have been using both products to prevent fleas and ticks, and help deter mosquitoes! We are avid hikers, and this year we have hiked in some highly tick infested areas. I am happy to report that I have not had a SINGLE tick or flea on my dog! You can follow our adventures over on Instagram!

I am very confident in the effectiveness of these two all natural, chemical-free products. I firmly believe that combining both of them helps increase their effectiveness, so I do recommend pairing the two together.

Included with each product, I have provided some supportive biomedical studies and peer-reviewed research on the active ingredients.

kin+kind: FLEA|TICK SprayThis is a great smelling topical spray made with all organic, natural ingredients. It is made with a base of organically grown coconut and olive oils, which are great for the skin and coat. This spray contains neem oil, cedarwood essential oil, peppermint essential oil, and lavender oil. I have had tremendous success with this product, and absolutely no bad side effects!

kin+kind has graciously given me a 10% off discount code "CANINE10" for you to use at check out if you'd like to try this amazing pest deterrent spray for your dog!

Earth MD Flea & Tick PreventionEarth MD's Flea & Tick product is a powder you can add to your dog's food once a day for a week every 2 months. It contains quassia bark, neem leaf, spirulina and garlic. It is an all natural and safe food additive!

This product came highly recommended to me by several friends who go hiking often, and they too have found a lot of success with it! Quassia bark and Neem leaf have been shown in studies todeter pests!

For more amazing information on natural dog health care (supported by scientific research), feel free to come join my exclusive closed Facebook group: K9 Instinct: Holistic Dog Health Care. In that group I share all of my new articles and any new research or news in the pet world.

We all want our dogs to live long and healthy lives. There is truly no better way to promote health and longevity than by feeding our dogs a healthy, fresh food diet of species appropriate raw meat, bone and organs! Choosing to feed a raw food diet is one of the most important decisions we can make when it comes to keeping our pets healthy.

When it comes to raw feeding, learning exactly what to feed and how to balance meals can be intimidating and difficult. That's where Iron Will Raw comes in! Iron Will Raw is a raw pet food company located in Ontario, Canada that provides pet parents with safe, balanced, nutritious raw meals for dogs and cats!

Iron Will Raw pet food is produced in a HACCP Certified facility, focusing on safety and quality. Their focus on creating the highest quality food and on product safety was one of the reasons I decided to make the switch to feeding my dog Iron Will Raw food.

Basic Beef Food by Iron Will Raw

Iron Will Raw comes in a wide variety of proteins, and two types of formulas. One formula contains only meat, bone and organs. The other formula contains meat, bone, organs and vegetables!

The Original Beef formula contains beef meat, beef heart, green beef tripe, ground beef bone, beef liver, beef kidney, and beef spleen. They are also nutritionally boosted with kale, spinach, parsley, and kelp to provide all of the vitamins and minerals dogs require to thrive.

Their balanced raw pet foods are full of high quality meat and a variety of organs. Good organ variety is vitally important because each organ provides different nutrients. Including multiple organs means your dog is getting the complete prey model nutrient spectrum they require. By rotating their proteins (such as beef, chicken, pork, turkey, lamb, etc) you will be able to provide your dog with a highly nutritious, highly digestible balanced diet.

My dog Hunter has been eating Iron Will Raw exclusively for over a month now, and I can happily say that he is doing amazing. He has been struggling with some allergy issues, and has made significant improvements on Iron Will Raw's Basic Beef food. We were struggling with a lot of eye discharge every single morning. Ever since he started eating the Basic Beef, we have had no trouble with his eyes! On top of that, he is pooping much less! He went from 3 (sometimes 4) times a day down to once or occasionally twice a day.

In general, he seems much more comfortable in terms of his skin and coat. His coat condition has improved quite a bit, and his fur is thick and glossy. Overall, he is doing extremely well. Out of every commercial raw food company out there that I have tried, Iron Will Raw seems to be the best of the best.

I am extremely picky about what goes into Hunter's body in terms of food and treats - and I have total confidence in this company to provide high quality raw food. I am beyond excited to share this information with you all and spread the word about them!

You can also visit their store locator if you'd like to know the closest place to get your dog or cat some Iron Will Raw pet food!

With Iron Will Raw, you get the comfort of knowing the raw food is safe, carefully produced and packaged. You will know without a doubt that you are getting the convenience of balanced and packaged healthy, fresh food without the effort and trouble of preparing and balancing raw food yourself.

Leashes are an important investment, since we use them every single day and we rely on them for control and safety. Taking the time to select a good quality, reliable leash is an investment worth making! There are a lot of options available, but many of them break easily and can't handle large amount of pressure on the end of the leash. You want a leash that you can depend on for safety!

The most reliable leash I have ever had the pleasure of using is no doubt the heavy duty Titan Tuff dog leash. This is a sturdy, high quality product that I feel extremely confident about using. It is a great multi-purpose leash that can be used as a standard leash, as a hands-free leash and can also be used as a temporary tie back to keep your dog safe and secure when you need to go hands free!Titan Tuff leashes are made out of 1.5" Nylon webbing and they feel as sturdy as they look. They are ideal for large breeds and strong dogs! The leashes feature a buckle that can withstand 500lbs of breaking force, which means that you can be confident that your leash won't break despite having a large, strong dog. Reliability and safety are magnificent features to have with this product.

When put to the test, this leash really lives up to its name! I've used this several times already as a tie back during the protection phase of IPO (Schutzhund) training and it stands up to my 86lb male German Shepherd dog lunging and pushing at the end of the leash with all of his strength without any trouble at all. I've also used this leash for general dog walking, and I find it very comfortable and easy to use. The hands free option is priceless, and it is comfortable to wear hooked around your waist. It is convenient and easy to attach, which is great! This leash comes in great colours and patterns, which I really appreciate. It is a very good looking product!I've taken one of our dogs jogging with the leash hooked around my waist, and it is perfect for this kind of exercise. Again, it is very comfortable and makes hands free running with your dog very enjoyable.

Over all, I am extremely happy with the Titan Tuff leash and I am now using it as my everyday leash for both of my dogs. It is a fantastic product, and I am excited to see it grow in popularity once dog owners start hearing about this fantastic leash. It's about time we see some high quality products getting produced here in North America!Check out the product information video at the end of this article for additional details!You can get a Titan Tuff leash for your dogs by clicking here to visit the Titan Tuff website, or by checking out their Facebook page! You won't be disappointed! AngelK9 Instinctwww.k9instinct.com

Dog owners are constantly striving to provide the very best for their dogs, and nutrition tends to be one of the most important decisions you will inevitably make for your four-legged companions. Superior nutrition will help determine what kind of health and longevity your dog will have during its lifetime. The key to a disease-resistant, thriving dog that remains strong and energetic even into its senior years is mixture of genetics and a nutrient dense diet of fresh, whole foods. A raw food diet is the species appropriate, biologically correct form of food dogs were designed to eat and thrive on. A raw food diet consists of raw meat, raw edible bone and raw organ from prey animals such as duck, rabbit, lamb, turkey, chicken and cows. A raw food diet is a whole food diet that consists of nutrient dense whole food and living enzymes. You can learn more about how dogs are biologically designed to eat a raw food diet here, or you can browse my article on frequently asked questions about a raw food diet for dogs!

BigCountry Raw is a raw pet food company located in the heart of the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. BCR uses only locally sourced suppliers of meat and all of their products are federally inspected human grade, hormone and antibiotic free! This wholesome company prepares and packages the food themselves in small batches to ensure absolute freshness and control the outstanding quality they are known for. I found BigCountry Raw when I was looking for unique protein sources to offer my prey model raw fed dogs. I really appreciate the selection they have available, and their prices are the best that I have found in Ontario. They offer chicken, beef, lamb, duck, rabbit, turkey, fish, pork and several nutritious blends of proteins. This amount of variety makes for a very balanced, nutritionally complete diet that provides the type of prey food diversity that results in optimum nutrition. I received an order from BigCountry Raw that contained their pure duck meal and their pure rabbit meal, immediately I was impressed with the packaging and how easy it was to simply bring in the house and put away in my freezer. Very simple to thaw, very simple to store, minimal mess. The packaging contains all of the information I would require right off the bat including the ingredient read and a basic nutrition analysis.

I fed BigCountry Raw for a month, and I have to say it is [in my opinion] the best pre-made raw food on the market. One thing I noticed immediately was the freshness of the food and the moisture content in the meat. A lot of pre-made raw food tends to be very dry and often freezer burned, but BigCountry Raw products retain a lot of moisture and that is extremely important in a raw food diet. The raw food itself must be highly palatable because my two German Shepherds licked their bowls clean enthusiastically after each meal. The ingredient read on all of the blends is fantastic - containing nothing but meat and completely free of any junk, fillers, or other useless additives. You get pure, fresh, wholesome meat in every single container.Both of my dogs flourished on BigCountry Raw, and their coats looked fantastic. Stools were small and looked very normal, and that shows that the meat itself has the right meat to bone ratios to be nutritionally balanced. I highly recommend BigCountry Raw to anyone who is looking for a high quality, balanced and nutritionally complete pre-made raw food to feed their four-legged family members. A fantastic business, a fantastic food and a diet designed to help your dogs thrive for all of the years of the life!Click here to visit the BigCountry Raw website, or click here to visit their Facebook page!AngelK9 Instinctwww.k9instinct.com

Rawhide bones an extremely popular dog chew that can cause a lot of problems for many dogs. The reality is that these "bones" are only 80% digestible and can cause digestive issues. Not only are they not fully digestible, but they are made with low quality ingredients that can negatively impact your dog's health and well being. Intestinal blockages caused by the consumption of rawhide bones can lead to death, and can wreck havoc on a dog's digestive system.Instead of feeding your dog potentially dangerous and unheathly rawhide bones consider selecting healthy, safe chews for your dog such as antlers, raw meaty bones, grain-free treat bones and other various chews! Learn more with my article on healthy dog chew options here.

Pet identification tags containing your phone number and address can mean a safe return home for a lost pet. Pet professionals across the globe cannot stress the importance of pet ID tags enough. I have seen my fair share of dogs finding their way into the shelter without identification, and no way to find out who they belong to. It's a sad, unnecessary potential problem in a dog's life that can be easily prevented. I have been searching for over a year to find a dog identification tag that was unique, and suited my male German Shepherd Hunter. I am quite picky with what he wears, selecting unique and high quality collars and leashes that suit his lovely masculine build and gorgeous wolf-like coat colours. I am a bit of a collar and dog tag collector, I'll admit... and the ultimate dog accessory for me is one I can customize! I was very excited when I stumbled upon the Tag Me Pet Tags store on Etsy, eagerly submitting an inquiry via their "custom request" feature. The tags looked stunning, timeless and sturdy. My inquiry was answered within 12 hours, and almost immediately I had the sense of excellent customer service. Tag Me Pet Tags offered to come up with a unique design for my pet tag based on the photo examples I had sent them expressing what I wanted on the tag. They worked extremely quickly and got example proofs back to me the same day. They were artistic, clean designs that I quickly deemed worthy of my special boy!I sent them real photos of various Schutzhund (now known as IPO) positions, and the talented artist who designed my tag was able to take two aspects of two different images and combine them to create exactly what I wanted. I was very impressed!

I am impressed with both the incredible customer service, speed of service, and quality of the product. The tag itself has some weight to it, making it feel resistant to wear. The craftsmanship is both artistic and professional, and the contrast between the base tag colour and the engraved image is just stunning. The information is large and clear on the back of the tag, easy to read, and is resistant to fading or being scratched off. If you are seeking a unique, awesome dog tag that is resistant to wear, weather and time this is definitely a great option. I was beyond pleased with the custom image they adorned my tag with, it looks like an expensive and special piece of artwork. The price for such a cool tag is very reasonable, and it looks fantastic on Hunter! Overall, this is the best dog ID tag I have ever purchased hands down and I will absolutely be returning to them for a tag my new puppy can grow up with! A HUGE thank you to Tag Me Pet Tags for providing such a phenomenal product and exemplary customer service. This is now my go-to place for dog tags! You can visit the Tag Me Pet Tags website here: www.tagmepettags.com Don't forget to like them on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/TagMePetTags

The Northern Biscuit Bakery is a phenomenal Canadian company producing a fantastic variety of wheat free and grain free dog cookies. All ingredients used within these recipes are sourced locally and are fresh, and the Northern Biscuits dog cookies are completely free of chemicals, useless fillers and any other junk ingredients dogs do not need in their bodies.

NORTHERN BISCUITS VARIETY:

Peanut Butter and Banana

Canadian Bacon

Peanut Crunch

Smoked Fish

Grilled Wild Boar (Grain Free)

Grilled Bison (Grain Free)

Glazed Duck (Grain Free)

Beef Tripe (Grain Free)

Pumpkin Pie

Turkey Cranberry

Liver-licious

Grilled Venison

The Northern Biscuits Bakery is one of my favourite companies producing healthy dog treats, and their reputation is outstanding. The ingredient read is phenomenal, leaving no room for junk ingredients or unhealthy additives. The Northern brand ensures high quality treats with local ingredients that taste and smell as good as they look!

The treat packaging is beautiful and does an excellent job representing both the quality and flavours within the individual recipes. The cookies are crunchy, fresh, appealing and rustic looking. The recipes that include meat such as bison and tripe do not smell terrible, but the intensely flavoured recipes such as the Pumpkin Pie treats smell incredible.

In conclusion, I have to say I am very pleased with Northern Biscuit's impressive selection of wheat and grain free dog treats. The quality is high and consistent, and the ingredient read is top notch. You can't go wrong with these healthy, locally sourced treats.

When I brought these home, Hunter was very interested in the bags. I offered him three large Glazed Duck cookies and he drooled all over the floor while he ate them. Then, to my absolute surprise, he went in the kitchen and sat by the chest freezer on which the bag of cookies was sitting and stared me down. He liked them enough to sit by them and quietly ask for more, so they are a new favourite in our home!

Nothing beats a treat made out of healthy organic, raw ingredients! Brad's Raw 4 Paws uses healthy vegetables, fruits and seeds which are dehydrated to preserve nutrients and living enzymes! These yummy cookies are kale-based, which is fantastic since kale is a nutritional powerhouse loaded with good stuff! You can feel good about feeding these treats to your dog, since they are GMO-free, grain free, gluten free, high in fiber, contain no animal products, are low on the glycemic scale. They are also "people quality", and yes, my husband once again sampled Hunter's new Brad's Raw 4 Paws cookies!

These delicious, highly nutritious treats are perfect for dogs with grain allergies and other food sensitivities. They are also made entirely in the United States.

Grain free, organic, kale-based, no animal products, people quality, high fiber, gluten free, low glycemic, no hormones, made in the USA!

I really like the concept of raw, not just when it comes to a dogs' diet but also in regards to treats; which is why I really love this product. Nutrients and enzymes get destroyed in the cooking process, so gently dehydrated these wholesome ingredients preserves all the goodness our dogs can seriously benefit from! Kale is one of my favourite greens to feed to a dog, it is full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, iron and calcium.

Hunter loved the cookies and drooled over them in the endearing way he does for all of his favourite treats. I was very happy with the quality of the treats and the packaging was also extremely well done! If you're looking for a high quality grain-free treat packed full of raw nutrition, look no further!Click here to visit Brad's Raw 4 Paws website!

Since the dawn of time, dogs (and their earliest ancestors) have shared a unique relationship with man that few species can even come close to. In fact, in some circles, it's debatable about whether or not we would even be standing here were it not for our canine companions - helping us hunt, keeping us warm and alerting us to dangers. The tradition is carried on today in the form of guard dogs.

Guard dogs are becoming a common choice for people who want to have extra protection for their homes. Dogs are normally thought of as lovable and very friendly and, honestly, most are. However, they can also be trained to protect your family and home if there is an emergency.

Some of the best dogs for training as guard dogs are the Doberman Pinscher, Chow Chows, German Shepherds, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Bull Mastiffs and Rottweilers. Compared to other dogs, these are superior as guardians due to their intimidating demeanor and natural instinct to protect their master. However, a dog doesn't necessarily need to be a "guard breed" in order to make the home safer. Most of the time, the presence of a dog, alone, is enough to turn away would-be intruders.

There are many factors to consider before you go out and buy a dog to protect you and your home. Did you know that, based on a study conducted, dogs can actually minimize the levels of stress and anxiety in a home? You might not believe that, especially during those trying puppy years of accidents on the floor and chewed up shoes. However, it's true - dogs really do help families and a lot of it has to do with the peace of mind they can bring.

Another thing you will want to consider, if you are getting a dog for guarding purposes, is the training. Unless you are licensed to handle this sort of thing, you should never take on the training duties yourself. There is a specific way of handling the training and the last thing you want is a dog that cannot differentiate between invited and uninvited guests. That can only lead to trouble. Unfortunately, for some people, a guard dog just isn’t enough. Things can happen: attempted break-ins thwarted by the dog, a new baby on the way, someone on the mend after a hospital visit – things can happen in life that can make you question your overall safety. Not to mention some people grow so attached to their four-legged friends that, despite the unspoken agreement of guardianship, they just don’t want any harm to come to their dogs. In situations like these, some people opt for home security systems and other home improvement measures to further protect not only the home but the dog as well. Lots of security services, like SelectHomeSecurity, for example, actually feature implements that take dogs into account. For example, they might have programmable motion sensors that can recognize your dog – preventing a false alarm and allowing you to effectively watch over the watch dog. You can think of it as meeting your dog half-way. Not to mention that having both an alert dog and an alarm system is a nice little one-two punch to the bad guys.

As a self diagnosed dog accessory junkie, I am constantly seeking out dog collar and leash businesses with which to feed my addiction. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a small home business by the name of "Fraggle Rock Collars" located in Kalamazoo, MI. A quick glance through her inventory caught my attention, with the unique designs and beautiful tailoring with each collar. The moment I learned she will happily create custom collars for her clients, I was hooked! I browsed through Etsy and found a ribbon design I wanted then I sent it her way. She was extremely quick to respond, order the ribbon, make the collar, and ship it to me all the way in Ontario, Canada. I couldn't believe how fast I received the collar! There are definitely many points to be earned here for her fast and efficient service. I also need to mention that her customer service was exceptional. She is very kind, eager to help and can help you create the custom collar of your dreams.

When I received the collar, I delighted by the lovely way it was packaged. The collar is secured in a standard bubble wrap shipping envelope, but enclosed in the envelope is this beautiful wrapped piece! A warm thank you written on the soft protective paper and the product is tied with a "made with love" tag that makes the whole thing feel a lot like a homemade gift. (Psst... these collars are hand made right in her home!) The collar itself is absolutely stunning. All of her collars, leashes and harnesses are made with tough nylon webbing with grosgrain or jacquard ribbon over them. The hardware is thick, solid metal with the exception of the buckle. Stitching is often reinforced 3 to 4 times and the end pieces of the project are burned to prevent fraying. She provides a very large variety of ribbon and pattern choices, which makes the experience very fun! I absolutely love unique designs and custom collars that you cannot find in local pet stores. She is willing to do anything you can dream up as long as she can get the material!

Hunter is the perfect dog to test a collar on because he can really put it through the wringer! Hunter is a muscular 85lb German Shepherd dog out of West German working lines, with prey drive that encourages some rather naughty pulling behaviour in pursuit of a squirrel when I give him the okay to do so. I took him for a walk this morning on the new Fraggle Rock collar and it worked better than any other martingale I have used before. It fits beautifully and the material fits together tightly and efficiently. I really enjoyed walking him on it, not to mention he looks pretty handsome with it on!

He got excited when we saw a squirrel across the street during our walk, so I gave him his release command to bark after it. He lunged on the leash to bark at it and "defend our pack" against the wicked squirrel beast. The collar held up to Hunter putting his entire weight against it. I was very pleased. :)

I choose a martingale collar because it is the safest collar in my opinion. It is a collar that slips over the head and tightens are the dog pulls. The can prevent dogs from backing up and slipping out of a collar, and also doubles as a safe and comfortable correction collar. The martingale collar provides a lot of excellent control over a dog and is comfortable for the dog to wear, so I consider it to be the best option for every day use!

After trying out the new collar, I was extremely pleased with the quality and durability of it. The collar is beautiful, Hunter enjoys wearing it, and I feel really great using it out in public and for training. I will definitely be ordering more collars from Fraggle Rock!

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Consult with your veterinarian before applying any of the information contained within this website, its blog, or via consultations. K9 Instinct recommends involving your veterinarian in any plans to utilize the information provided by K9 Instinct, and cannot be held accountable for any damages incurred by the use or misuse of any information provided by K9 Instinct. The guidance of your veterinarian is strongly recommended!